We will become human bombs if the Government tries to make us unhappy by abolishing our hereditary right to be servitor, no matter what we do. We are privileged to extract money from devotees who must seek our help in getting darshan and offering bhog.” This was uttered by agitating servitors of the Jagannath Temple the moment word went round that the commission engaged to recommend reforms believably has stressed abolishing the hereditary rights to be considered as servitor without any skill or knowledge of hospitality the way servitors display at most famous temples of India. Strangely, this ‘terror threat’ has been taken lightly by the administration and the police. Not a single servitor terrorist has been nabbed after a leading Odia daily carried the horror story a couple of days ago as headline news on the front page.
India is a secular country. Each religion or faith is respected alike without partiality or prejudice by the Government agencies and authorities who cannot interfere in the age-old religious matters or issues which are expected to be managed and resolved by the religious entities as chosen by the community. But if any practice or convention affects the public life adversely, the Government can take action, very severe if need be, to protect the ordinary people in trouble posed by crooks in the religious outfits or systems.
The Temple Act would be deemed unconstitutional if it permits anti-devotee activities of any kind. The Jagannath Temple Act of 1955, despite various pro-devotee components, remains deficient in mechanisms to tackle with temple-related crooks and rogues. The ordinary devotee is never told what his rights are and how he can ward off or have punished rogues and frauds fleecing them. Hardly do people know the relevant Supreme Court ruling since it has not been made public. In 1997, the apex court had made it clear that no servitor would have any right over any kind of offering by devotees to the deities — cash, kind or landed property.
The Government is expected to provide security, sanitation and law and order facilities wherever the administration has been taken over. The most famous temples of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere are run by trusts who ensure no individual servitor is fleecing them for extortion. Devotees at these temples do not even get to know or see priests at work, let alone be bothered or pestered by them. But in Puri, the servitors are born like monarchs and princes, and the rogues among them who outnumber the good ones, engage in looting, extortion and cheating. After Prabhupada, the founder of Iskcon popularised the Car Festival, the Daita servitors became predominantly visible for a month when the deities come out in the open, and with support from some wicked politicians and police officials posed as the priest class ‘Paandas’ who are necessarily Brahmin by caste with the sacred thread worn across the torso.
Several Daitas and Brahmin priests have amassed wealth by various means by engaging in trading, hotel business, property dealing, employment with government and corporate agencies and any other profit activity that can never bring them back to the temple for rendering even the most minimum service. As per norms, even lawyers would lose licence if making money in any other business than law practice. But Puri servitors can do everything and yet remain servitors to make big kills in one-day or week deals. A Daitapati Nijog member joined the BJD and became Chairman of the Odisha Coir Board. Odias did not like a virtually illiterate servitor being placed as an important State corporation office-bearer. Odisha people are keen that the temple law be amended, the hereditary right of the servitors abolished and any servitor engaging in profit activities outside the temple service domain be dismissed without the right to appeal for forgiveness. In 1952, the Odisha Government took control of the temple administration only because the Puri King messed up and squandered temple funds on personal pleasure and conducting himself irresponsibly about the rituals and the survival of the servitors.
In the past, Hindus have reformed their society by abolishing Sati (widow burning) and child marriage. So, reforms in the Jagannath Temple rituals and practices must be made without delay.
The first sevayat of lord Jagannath is Gajapati, the Puri King. The major ritual is to sweep the three chariot platforms of the deities with a golden broomstick. Patjoshi Mohapatra is the head of all priestly servitors, entrusted with the functions of ensuring that the servitors perform their duties properly and the rites of temple are observed dot on time. Bhitarachhu Mohapatra looks after the sanctity of the bhog being offered to the deities and also to the cleanliness of the temple premises. Taluchha Mohapatra looks after the cleanliness of the kitchen. Mudirath performs all works of the King in the latter's absence. Pujapandas chant Vedic mantras and perform Japas. Puspalaks put dress and smear sandal wood paste, etc., on the deities. Khuntias guard the divine bodies. Mekaps are in charge of different store articles. Pratiharis keep guard over different strategic points. Suars cook the food offerings. Karans keep the accounts of all cash and materials. Bhitara Gaini Seva (service) is performed by the Debadasis who sing songs before the deities retire to bed at night. The Daitas perform all duties during Snana Purnima and Rath Yatra and play an important role during Nabakalebar. They claim to be the decedents of the Shabara chieftain Biswabasu, who worshiped Jagannath before the lord came to this temple.
Nearly 75 such sevayats perform their functions daily and without any salary. They are only entitled to get a portion of the total bhog or offerings. This portion is known as ‘Khei'. A few sevayats also get cash rewards from the management for job well-done. Today, there are 119 categories of sevayats according to the Record of Rights of the temple.
A Hundi has been placed in the Jagamohan area since 23.8.83 for donation and 90% of the Hundi collection is deposited in bank as foundation fund out of the interest money accruing from the foundation fund 50% goes to the temple fund, 45% to the Sanskrit University and 5% to the Sevayats’ Welfare Fund.
The latest move by the Government to amend the Temple Act has been made only after the 'Brahma Bibhrat' or the horrific act of sacrilege committed by the Daitapatis during the recently-concluded Nabakalebar. The greedy Daitas looted thousands of gullible devotees across the State by making open all the secret rituals and posing to be the chief servitors of the temple.
After a long criminal wait, the Government is going to do something truly great in the interest of the ordinary devotees. The new Chief Secretary will make a big name for a people-friendly amendment. The Chief Temple Administrator too will have all his past blemishes absolved with this single divine move. Servitors not on duty should remain in civilian dress or outside the temple premises; the ones making money elsewhere be dismissed from service and a truly decent salary be given to honest, devotee-friendly priests who be pressed into service only after undergoing training in behaviour and rituals and passing tests post training. The new Chief Secretary may do a big beginning with the Temple Act brought in place. Jai Jagannath!
(The writer is a core member of Transparency International, Odisha)